BOUQUETS and BRICKBATS

By Enterprise editorial staff

Published 4:00 am, Saturday, September 12, 2015

Bouquets go to:

-- Area residents who have donated at least $20,000 so far to help pay the medical bills of Beaumont police officer Ty Smith, who died Aug. 31 of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Beaumont police officers held a fundraiser on Wednesday to help Ty's wife Alicia, selling $6 lunch plates with a choice of boudin or sausage links, and it quickly raised between $8,000 and $9,000 with more than 1,500 pre-sale orders. "He was a really active officer," said Beaumont Police Sgt. Bobby Anderson, who helped organize the fundraiser. "He was loved by all the guys. We have a city policy that allows us to donate vacation time, so we were able to do that to help keep him along with treatments. The cancer was so aggressive and he basically died with nothing."

-- The newly formed Greater South Park Neighborhoods Partnership in Beaumont, for holding "A Day in the Park" today. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Alice Keith Park at East Lavaca and Highland Avenue. The partnership, which meets monthly on the Lamar University campus, has begun to address various issues facing the community. The partnership includes civic, business, education, social and spiritual leaders of the South Park neighborhoods. Today's event will offer free food, music and fun to all who want to help South Park move forward. More information is available on Facebook or at (409) 880-7721.

-- Jasper High School's football program, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Due to the program's longevity and talent, Jasper football's record is ranked at 34th in the state with 598 wins and a winning percentage of .612. Current Coach Darrell Barbay noted that the school's field house has football trophies from district championships that go back to the 1950s and trophies with names on them from the same family that go back three generations, as well as many photos of college and pro players who started as Jasper Bulldogs.

-- Jefferson County's aviation and marine division, which conducted an air rescue last week to pick up two surveyors trapped inside their vehicle in a marshy area north of the Rainbow Bridge. The men were unable to exit their tracked vehicle in the marsh and a second vehicle was not sent to rescue them due to muddy conditions. A 911 call enabled them to be brought back by a county helicopter, which landed on their vehicle's roof. The two men were able to climb into to the helicopter with the assistance of a third deputy who got in the back seat.

Brickbats go to:

-- The person or persons who wrapped large rubber bands around a stray cat in San Antonio, causing one of the kitty's limbs being amputated. On Wednesday the Bexar County Sheriff's Office announced the search for suspects in the animal cruelty case of the friendly cat dubbed Little Gray, for her color. Officials say the cat had lived for about a year on a landscaping company's property and was fed by employees. She disappeared in late August and then limped back on Sept. 2. Deputies found rubber bands tightly wrapped around Little Gray's right front leg and left rear leg, cutting off circulation. The front leg had to be amputated.

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If you have items for this column, E-mail Bouquets and Brickbats to: Opinions@BeaumontEnterprise.com Or mail them to: The Enterprise, P.O. Box 3071, Beaumont, TX 77704